No offense but Ozzie has been given an opportunity this year and played pretty decent and if he wasn't injured he'd probably still be playing. As far as Nabby bs Ozzie... Nabby has been the better goalie for most of the last 10 years accept one season,

Then why was it that, when Osgood went in for surgery, and the Wings re-called Joey MacDonald, that Babcock stated that "nothing would change", that they'd continue to "ride Howard" just as if Osgood hadn't been injured, and use Mac in the games that "Ozzie would've played", such as back-to-back games?

It's been clear since 2005 that Babs has a dislike for Osgood. Since Oz went down with injury LAST Season, he was given ZERO opportunity to regain the Starting role.

Babcock has stated, repeatedly that it's because "Howie is our guy. We're sticking with him."

If he allows a DIFFERENT goalie an opportunity to take the Starting job from Howard, where he wouldn't allow Osgood even the opportunity to even COMPETE for it....

Then how does that not make a liar of the man, and prove that it was ALWAYS about "Anyone BUT Osgood gets a shot! ANYONE, including Manny Freakin' Legace!"

Like it or not-- Howard is the future of the Wings in net right now. Ozzy is the past. And the difference between Howard's bad starts and Ozzy's good starts hasn't been large enough to justify switching the starter positions. That's why Howard gets the extra start. But because we're both math guys let's look at the stats:

Howard:30gp 30gs 20W-7L-3OTL 2.70GAA 0.908 Sv% 2SO

Osgood:10gp 9gs 4W-3L-2OTL 2.74GAA 0.905 Sv% 0SO

I've watched the games too man, I know Ozzy's had a few good ones. But to characterise this situation as being a clear cut case of favourtism ignores the statistical evidence that says Howard wins 67% of his games and Osgood wins 44% of his games (all with nearly identical GAA and Sv%).

Who says Howard is the future? The guy couldn't crack the line-up for 5 years - not with numerous chances. Holland re-signed Osgood to partner with Legace. Then signed a geriatric Hasek the year after. Then Conklin. Then invited DAN FREAKIN' CLOUTIER to Camp! Howard only made the roster when the Wings ran out of options. And he only "earned" a shot at the #1 spot once Osgood went down with the flu/groin injury.

Since then? It doesn't matter HOW he's played, nor how his partner has played. He's been handed the Starting job, regardless of performance. Osgood hasn't even been allowed to compete with him for the job. He has been DESIGNATED as the Starter, just as Legace was in 2005-2006.

We all remember how well that turned out.

And bear in mind that Osgood is posting similar stats while coming in COLD, after sitting on the bench for extended periods of time, while Howard has had more than steady work to keep him in Game shape.

Babcock mucked up the goaltending in 2005-2006. He mucked it up in 2008-2009. He mucked it up last Season. And he's well on his way to mucking it up this Season.

Like the fact that with each passing year, and the loss of more and more "Scotty Bowman/Steve Yzerman Wings", the Wings, (as a Team), get a little bit more scrambly.

Everyone here thinks Babcock is such a brilliant Head Coach. Come on. Dave freakin' Lewis coached this Team to the President's Trophy.

Fact is, when Babcock took over, HALF of the roster was filled with Player Coaches, (similar to Reg Dunlop in Slap Shot). Basically all Babcock had to do was show up, run practices, and fill out the line-up card. This Team knows how to Play. And how to Win.

As more and more of them leave, the Wings are losing more than just "aging Players".

They're losing a fantastic hockey mind, one who sees the game on the ice like a chess board, (Yzerman). They're losing a PP Coach, one who understands, from first hand experience, how to combine skill with grit, and to implement both to devastating effect, (Shanny). They're losing one of the best Defensive Coaches in the Game, one who has seen everything, in a 20+ year career, and knows how to respond in any given situation, (Cheli). They're losing an excellent strength and conditioning Coach, one who can mentor younger Players on what it takes to compete hard, every night, even with a limited skill-set, (Maltby).

As more and more of them leave, and the rest are disrespected by their own coach as "past their prime", their contributions held at little value in a "what have you done for me lately" philosophy.....

Perhaps some of the vets have been alienated. (No "perhaps" about it.....I've heard from multiple sources that THAT is a fact!).

And as more and more of them leave, and the ones who are left are NO LONGER treated with the respect they used to enjoy in Detroit, where they were considered valuable, battled seasoned warriors, rather than "washed up has-beens".....

Perhaps less and less of that "Red Wings Way" is being passed down to the next generation of Wings.

It's funny how people see Yzerman as "ready for retirement". How Shanny was "past his prime". How Cheli was "done". And how Maltby was "waaaaay done.".....

To the younger Players they were role models, guys who had BEEN there, done that, and had the Rings, and the scars, to show for it. And even if these guys were too old to be as effective as they used to be, they still had the knowledge to pass on from FIRST HAND experience.

Rather than someone who's gonna rail on you repeatedly about how to do a job HE was never "good enough" to do at the NHL level.

And while you can make an argument that the aforementioned Players HAD TO go, (and they did, it was their time.....), they didn't have to be treated the way they were BEFORE they left.

And don't think the guys who are left in the Room don't know it. Vet and rook alike. (Ask around......)

Also, for those saying that the Wings are not playing well....that they look uninspired....like they don't want to work for the full 60 minutes.

Yeah. You're all right.

Now consider the reports that nearly the whole Team, led by "Mr. Silent Leader" himself, Nick Lidstrom, went to Babcock and basically forced his hand by calling him out, telling him to "do the right thing" and let Osgood go for #400 at Home, in front of his friends, his family, and the Fans....

You don't think the guys in that room, many of whom have played the major portion of their careers with Osgood, and Won Cups in front of him, don't see what's going on? Don't see the double standard? Don't recognize how ridiculous it is to sit Osgood in favor of a struggling goalie, just to prove a point?

You think THEY aren't wondering what has to happen to get the struggling goalie OUT, and get the guy who's playing better IN? You think THEY aren't wondering WHY Babcock simply refuses to play Osgood? No matter what?

I mentioned it last Season, and was slammed for it.

They don't HAVE TO wonder. They know. And they are NOT happy about it, by all reports.

Then WHY keep him in there, Game after Game, and allow him to keep struggling, when you have a 400 Career Game Winner outplaying him when he's NOT stapled to the bench?

What happened to Babcock's mantra of: "It's about Winning. It's about who's playing better. It's not about personal accomplishments."?

Or is this no longer the NHL, where the goal is to WIN?

Are these no longer the Detroit Red Wings, whose goal is to contend for the Cup. Every year?

Is it now the Jimmy Howard Developmental League, where the goal is to "season" James Howard, and get him experience?

Ken Holland has ALWAYS held the opinion that he wants his Players, ALL of them, "over-ready" before they take on major roles with the Red Wings. What Babcock is doing flies in the face of that philosophy.

This should NOT be about Jimmy Howard, no matter how promising he appears to be. Because the fact of the matter is that there are MANY "promising" rookies and young Players who just never. pan. out.

Babcock is trying to force the issue. It's going to backfire. Detroit is NOT the place to "test" a rookie goaltender.

And really, what's the worst that would happen if Osgood did get going and take over heading into the playoffs? His last two playoff runs worked out pretty well for everyone...

Simple, gcom:

It would prove that Babcock was wrong.

Wrong to name Howard the Starter last Season. Wrong to bench Osgood for the entire second half of last Season. Wrong to stick with a struggling Howard in the Play Offs when he had Osgood on the bench. Wrong to name Howard the Starter this Season.

And Babcock will not allow himself to be proven wrong. Period.

We saw that first hand when the stubbornly refused to listen to the wisdom of Steve Yzerman, Nick Lidstrom, Ken Holland, and SCOTTY BOWMAN, as they ALL went to him in 2005-2006, and told him that it was a BAD idea to go with Legace in the Play Offs, and he should start getting Osgood prepared.

He refused. He wanted everyone to know that this was his Team. It was his decision.

He paid for it against Edmonton in 2006.

He paid for it last Post Season.

He'll pay for it again. Watch and see.

The man will NOT admit when he's wrong, and he refuses to learn from his mistakes.

I don't understand what Babcock is doing. I've always supported him, but his handling of the goalie situation last year and this year is just mind boggling. Howard is not playing well. Whether or not you blame him for losses, it's just a fact. Ozzie, on the flip side, is playing very, very well. Why NOT give him a chance? Howard, for the moment, has played himself OUT of a starting position, yet Babcock refuses to go to Ozzie who we know is capable of carrying the load if need be. It's almost like he forgets we have a 400-win goalie as our backup.

I understand he doesn't want to shake Howard's confidence, but that boat sailed a while ago. Howard has gotten into terrible habits and needs to retool his game (namely, not dropping to the ice every time the opponent comes into the zone), which he can't do if he's starting every game.

If I were Ozzie I'd be even more pissed than last year. Last year Ozzie deserved to not play, and he didn't. This year he deserves to play, and he's not.

Wake up Babcock!

It's pretty simple, VM:

If Babcock turns to Osgood now, odds are Ozzie is so fired up and hungry for the #1 spot, that he TAKES it. And never looks back.

What does that mean for Mike Babcock?

It means he was WRONG about the goaltending. It means that he was WRONG to stick with Howard as the Wings were driven to 7 Games against an inferior opponent, and bounced in 5 Games against a choke Team which was swept in the next Round.

It means that he made the WRONG decision to declare Howard the Starter to open this Season, without a hint of competition for the spot.

For those who state that "Howard is the Starter. You have to stick with your Starter."

Says WHO? What justifies keeping Howard as the Starter, when his "back-up" is outplaying him. Wasn't Osgood the Starter just LAST SEASON....until HIS "back-up" started outplaying HIM. Then a NEW Starter was named, based on merit.

When Legace was the Starter in 2005-2006, and Osgood was the back-up, it was: "Manny's the Starter. He's our guy, and we're gonna ride him."When Dom was the Starter from 2006-2008, and Osgood was the back-up, it was: "Dom's the Starter. He's our guy, and we're gonna ride him."When Ozzie was the Starter in 2007-2008, and Conklin was the back-up, it was: "Whoever plays better, plays."When Ozzie was the Starter in 2008-2009, and Howard was the back-up, it was: "We're going with the hot hand."Now that Howard is the Starter, and Osgood is once again the back-up, it's back to: "Howard's the Starter. He's our guy, and we're gonna ride him."

Anyone who fails to see the ridiculous double standard here is out of their minds.

It's quite simple. Babcock will NOT allow Osgood a shot, not even a shot, to re-take the Starting role. He'll keep throwing Howard out there, for loss after loss, regardless of HOW he's playing, until the TEAM pulls it together, and Howard starts Winning again.

THEN he can say: "See. It was just a slump. All is well now." Right up until the Wings are bounced out of the Post Season early, again.

He did the same thing in January/February last Season when Howard went 8-5-6, and was giving up 3+ goals per Game consistently. He just kept throwing him out there, Game after Game, after Game.

Really, what is wrong with having Osgood start every other or every third game? As things sit right now, I see Howard continuing to struggle, Osgood to cool off/get discouraged again, and here we are in spring out in the second round again. Do you think its a saving-face thing sometimes with Babcock, as in he doesn't want anyone to think anything is wrong with what he has been doing so he keeps on keeping on? He seems to do that a lot...

Gee....ya think?

Babcock is delusional about goaltending. It's his blind spot.

He seems to think that he can manufacture a Starting Goaltender, by sheer number of Starts alone.

He did it with Legace. He tried to do it with Conklin. And now he's doing it with Howard.

Babcock needs to learn that what makes a goaltender a #1 Goaltender is NOT the number of Games he starts during the Season. It's what's between his ears. And you can't FORCE that, no matter how many Games you throw 'em out there.

Thank you for posting the link, Rick. As I read it, I just had to laugh. Because the reasons, and the exact same scenarios, (and I DO mean exact - beginning with that loss to the Sharks in '94, and Osgood weeping at his locker afterwards - that's what did it for ME, too), that "Justin" listed as his reasons for holding Oz as his personal favorite hockey player of all time, are the very same that have made Oz MY all-time favorite.

It's funny. It's not that Ozzie doesn't have his warts. He does. God KNOWS he does. He can be downright infuriatingly bad, at times. It's not that he's particularly skilled. He's not. It's not that he has this aura of invincibility. He doesn't.

It's that he has that one quality that NO amount of skill, or talent, or training, or experience, can EVER impart.